amember guide · 2011. 11. 3. · amember pro ('the software') is a copyrighted work of...

© 2002-2006, CGI-Central

aMember Guide

What is aMember Pro?Introduction

by Alex Scott

aMember is a flexible membership and subscriptionmanagement PHP script. It has support for PayPal,BeanStream, 2Checkout, NoChex, VeriSign PayFlow,Authorize.Net, PaySystems, Probilling, Multicards, E-Goldand Clickbank payment systems (complete list can be foundhere) and allows you to setup paid-membership areas onyour site. It can also be used without any payment system -you can manage users manually. aMember Pro alsosupports integration plugins to link with third-party scriptsdatabases (like vBulletin, Invision Board, you can seecomplete list here). aMember is a perfect solution for sellingdigital membership and downloads, and it can be used foranother applications as well.

All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, ormechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems - without thewritten permission of the publisher.

Products that are referred to in this document may be either trademarks and/or registered trademarks of therespective owners. The publisher and the author make no claim to these trademarks.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, the publisher and the author assume noresponsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this documentor from the use of programs and source code that may accompany it. In no event shall the publisher and the author beliable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly orindirectly by this document.

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aMember ProI


Table of Contents

Part I Introduction 3

................................................................................................................................... 31 aMember Pro Licence Agreement

................................................................................................................................... 42 Support

Part II How it works 6

................................................................................................................................... 61 Signup

................................................................................................................................... 62 Payment

................................................................................................................................... 73 Expiration and subscription renewal

................................................................................................................................... 74 Protection

................................................................................................................................... 75 Third-party scripts integration

Part III Installation 10

................................................................................................................................... 101 Requirements

................................................................................................................................... 102 Quick Start

................................................................................................................................... 103 Step-by-Step

................................................................................................................................... 114 Initial Setup

................................................................................................................................... 125 How to set cron job

................................................................................................................................... 146 First steps

................................................................................................................................... 157 Setting-up protection

................................................................................................................................... 178 Affiliate program

................................................................................................................................... 189 Upgrade from Free to Pro

................................................................................................................................... 1810 Upgrade Pro to newer version

Part IV Payment Plugins 21

................................................................................................................................... 211 PayPal

................................................................................................................................... 222 PayPal Pro

................................................................................................................................... 233 2Checkout

................................................................................................................................... 254 ClickBank

................................................................................................................................... 265 VeriSign PayFlow Link

................................................................................................................................... 286 WorldPay

................................................................................................................................... 287 Free

................................................................................................................................... 298 Other plugins

Part V Protection Plugins 31

................................................................................................................................... 311 Using new_rewrite

................................................................................................................................... 322 Using mod_rewrite with php_include

IIContents

II


................................................................................................................................... 333 Using php_include

................................................................................................................................... 354 Using auto_prepend with php_include

................................................................................................................................... 365 Using htpasswd

Part VI Third-party Plugins 39

................................................................................................................................... 391 Bulletin Board Plugins

Part VII aMember Admin CP Guide 42

................................................................................................................................... 421 Setup/Configuration

................................................................................................................................... 432 Configuring Plugins

................................................................................................................................... 443 Managing Products

................................................................................................................................... 464 Products Renewal Groups

................................................................................................................................... 475 Managing Users

................................................................................................................................... 496 Managing Payments

................................................................................................................................... 507 Coupons

................................................................................................................................... 518 Error and Access Logs

................................................................................................................................... 529 IP-based access control

Part VIII Customization 55

................................................................................................................................... 551 Templates Customization

.......................................................................................................................................................... 55Creating header and footer files

................................................................................................................................... 562 Adding login-form anywhere on your site

................................................................................................................................... 573 Include member's data into pages

................................................................................................................................... 574 Adding new fields

................................................................................................................................... 595 Creating new integration plugins

.......................................................................................................................................................... 59How to start

.......................................................................................................................................................... 60Understanding user record

.......................................................................................................................................................... 60How to setup a plugin hook

.......................................................................................................................................................... 61Plugin hooks - member status

.......................................................................................................................................................... 62Plugin hooks - login helpers

.......................................................................................................................................................... 63Plugin hooks - signup helpers

................................................................................................................................... 636 Extending aMember with PHP

.......................................................................................................................................................... 64Hooks - validation functions

.......................................................................................................................................................... 64Hooks - payments update

.......................................................................................................................................................... 65aMember database functions

Index 67

Foreword1


Part

I

aMember Pro3


1 Introduction

aMember Pro is a PHP script for creating protected areas on websites with paymentprocessing options. This document covers aMember Pro installation, configuration andcustomization.

This document is a setup/customization guide for aMember Pro script users. It describes theprocess new users should follow to install the script on their web site and customize it to theirneeds.

Much of this guide assumes that the user is familiar with FTP and HTML. Certain parts alsorequire basic knowledge of PHP, but all these parts are optional and may be skipped.

Less experienced users will find it easier to follow the longer step-by-step installation guideand will find links to additional information at various points in the Guide.

aMember Pro website: http://www.cgi-central.net/scripts/amember/

1.1 aMember Pro Licence Agreement

aMember Pro ('the Software') is a copyrighted work of authorship and is also protected underapplicable database laws. CGI-CENTRAL retains ownership of the Software and any copies of it,regardless of the form in which the copies may exist.

By installing and using aMember on your server, you agree to the following terms and conditions. Suchagreement is either on your own behalf or on behalf of any corporate entity which employs you orwhich you represent ('Corporate Licensee'). In this Agreement, 'you' includes both the reader and anyCorporate Licensee

* aMember licence grants you the right to run one instance (a single installation) of the Software onone web server and one web site for each licence purchased. Each licence may power one instance ofthe Software on one domain. For each installed instance of the Software, a separate licence isrequired. * Transfer Policy: CGI-CENTRAL may, in its discretion, allow you to transfer your license to anotherdomain, providing the license: - has not already been transferred; and - was purchased less than 3 months in the past. * If you have a valid licence, you may set up an additional test installation on test host, providing itnever will be accessed by the general public; * The licence is effective until terminated. You may terminate it at any time by uninstalling theSoftware and destroying any copies in any form. * You undertake to; - ensure that, prior to use of the Software by your employees or agents, all such parties are notifiedof the terms of this Agreement; and - hold all data (including object and source codes), software listings and all other informationrelating to the Software confidential and not at any time, during the period of the licence or after itsexpiry, disclose the same whether directly or indirectly to any third party without CGI-CENTRAL'sconsent. * The Software source code may be altered (at your risk) * The Software may not be used for anything that would represent or is associated with anIntellectual Property violation, including, but not limited to, engaging in any activity that infringes ormisappropriates the intellectual property rights of others, including copyrights, trademarks, servicemarks, trade secrets, software piracy, and patents held by individuals, corporations, or other entities.

http://www.cgi-central.net/scripts/amember/

Introduction 4


* If any of the terms of this Agreement are violated, CGI-CENTRAL reserves the right to revoke thelicence at any time.

Disclaimer of Warranty

The software and the accompanying files are sold "As Is" and without warranties as to performance ofmerchantability or any other warrantied whether expressed or implied.

CGI-CENTRAL is not liable for the content of any site powered by the Software.

You must assume the entire risk of using the program. ANY LIABILITY OF CGI-CENTRAL WILL BELIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE.

Except in respect of personal injury or death caused directly by the negligence of CGI-CENTRAL, in noevent will CGI-CENTRAL be liable to you for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings, lossof data or any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of or inabilityto use such Software, even if CGI-CENTRAL has been advised of the possibility of such damages.Nothing in this Agreement limits liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.

This licence gives you specific legal rights and the you may have other rights that vary from country tocountry. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, or certain kinds oflimitations or exclusions of liability, so the above limitations and exclusions may not apply to you. Otherjurisdictions allow limitations and exclusions subject to certain conditions. In such a case the abovelimitations and exclusions shall apply to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of such applicablejurisdictions. If any part of the above limitations or exclusions is held to be void of unenforceable, suchpart shall be deemed to be deleted from this agreement and the remainder of the limitation orexclusion shall continue in full force and effect. Any rights that you may have as a consumer (i.e. apurchaser for private as opposed to business, academic or government use) are not affected.

General

This Agreement constitutes the complete statement of the agreement between you andCGI-CENTRAL, and supercedes all representations, understandings or prior agreements between youand CGI-CENTRAL.

CGI-CENTRAL reserves the right to modify these terms at any time.

1.2 Support

CGI-Central offers fast priority email and web-based support to all customers of aMember Pro version.Guaranteed response time is 24 hours for any question.

Priority SupportWeb Support: https://cgi-central.net/support/E-Mail Support: [email protected]

Forum (no priority support) http://www.cgi-central.net/forum/

FAQ (Frequently asked questions) https://www.cgi-central.net/support/faq.php

mailto:[email protected]

http://cgi-central.net/forum/

Part

II

How it works 6


2 How it works

This is an overview of how the aMember script works to sign up users to your protected area or areas.If you are unfamiliar with aMember or have not used a script to protect content in the past, it is highlyrecommended that you read this section before installing aMember.

2.1 Signup

The procedure for signing up a new customer/member is as follows:1. A user comes to the signup page (http://www.yoursite.com/amember/signup.php) and

completes a signup form. User is asked to enter their first and last name and emailaddress. They may also be asked to create a username and password. You canoptionally enable username and/or password generation in the aMember Pro settings,in which case the user will be issued with an automatically generated username and/orpassword.

2. You may add more fields to signup form if you wish.3. After completing the form, the user presses the "Signup" button. aMember now

creates two new database records: · a pending user record · a pending payment record. This does NOT give the user rights to enter. The pending payment record contains

amount to be paid, subscription start and expiry dates, subscription type orderedand other related information. However this payment record is not marked as"paid".

Read about payment process

2.2 Payment

· The user is redirected to payment system payment page where he will be asked forcredit card info (or for other necessary payment information, depending on thepayment method selected). The payment gateway (eg PayPal, 2Checkout orAuthorize.Net) checks the information entered and makes the transaction.

· Once the transaction is completed successfully, the user will be redirected to the"thanks" page of aMember (http://www.yoursite.com/amember/thanks.php). If thetransaction failed, user may be redirected to failed payment page (only if the paymentsystem supports it : http://www.yoursite.com/amember/cancel.php ).

· In background, the payment system sends confirmation to aMember script that thepayment process has been completed. The aMember script then marks the payment as"Paid" and sends a signup (welcome) email to the customer.

Read about subscription expiration Full list of supported payment plugins can be found here: http://www.cgi-central.net/scripts/amember/features.php#paysys

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2.3 Expiration and subscription renewal

All members (even those who did not pay or whose payment has been failed) can accessthe aMember members page (http://www.yoursite.com/amember/member.php).

On this page they will see:· Links to membership areas which they are allowed to access (is to which subscriptions

are completed and not-expired) · Logout link · Link to update profile info/change password · List of completed payments (if subscription is recurring, a subscription cancel link will

be displayed near every active recurring subscription record) · Controls to renew subscription or order another subscription type(product)

To add/renew a subscription, users must select a membership type, a payment method andpress a button, then they are redirected to a payment system page and payment will beexactly the same as for initial signup. If a user already has a subscription to the samesubscription type (product), the new subscription start and expiry dates will be calculatedfrom the day when the existing subscription expires.

Read about protection abilities

2.4 Protection

aMember can generate an authorization database for any number of protecteddestinations. For example, it can generate .htpasswd and .htgroup files, which are suitablefor authorization on Unix platforms.

aMember handles subscription expirations and expired members will not get access toprotected areas. aMember can also act as an authorization source itself, checkingauthorization in the database, when someone tries to access a protected area protectedwith the php_include method.

All protection methods are fully described in separate chapter: "Protection Plugins" .

Read about third-party scripts integration

2.5 Third-party scripts integration

aMember can be integrated with third-party scripts, such as bulletin boards, ContentManagement Systems, trouble tickets systems and so on. For example, it can maintain a vBulletin Board database, so that only active (paid andnot-expired) members are able to access the board. Thus a user can have a single login forboth aMember and vBulletin and (in case of vBulletin board) will need to login only oncein to access protected areas with HTML content and the vBulletin board.

Full list of available integration plugins can be found here:

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How it works 8


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Part

III

Installation 10


3 Installation

3.1 Requirements

· PHP version 4.1.0+ · MySQL version 3.23+ · Apache (generally Unix-based) hosting (only if protection is required )

If you are unsure whether your hosting meets these requirements, please contact your hostcompany for confirmation.

3.2 Quick Start

Installation is easy and aMember includes an automated set up for your database. If you are experienced in installing scripts, this Quick Guide will have you up and running inminutes. If you are less experienced you may prefer to follow the more detailed Step-by-StepInstructions . Installation Quick Guide

Unpack the distribution of the script.FTP the entire aMember folder to your public HTML directory in binary mode. To use the Web Based Setup browse to:

http://www.yoursite.com/amember/setup.php If setup script requires, make the following folders writeable for the script (chmod 707 or

777 depending on server configuration):· amember/data/· amember/data/new_rewrite/

Follow setup script instructions

3.3 Step-by-Step

Installation is quite easy. If you are experienced in installing PHP scripts, the Quick Guide will have you up andrunning in minutes. Otherwise please follow these detailed step-by-step instructions.

Installation Step-by-Step Instructions1. Unzip the distribution of the script. To do this you will need an unzipping utility with

support for long filenames. WinZip is suitable.2. You now need to FTP the script files to your server, using an FTP client such as

WS_FTP. It is important that aMember files are copied to the correct place in yourdirectory structure. The aMember folder should be copied to your public HTMLdirectory - this is the directory where your home page is located, often called 'html_docs', 'public_html' or something similar. FTP the entire aMember folder tothis directory making sure that you transfer the files in binary mode. There is no needto set up the folders on the server side, you can copy the whole directory over in a

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single step.3. To use the Web Based Setup browse to

http://www.yoursite.com/amember/setup.php, then follow the instructions ateach step in the web-based

4. If the setup script requires, the following folders must be made writeable for thescript:· amember/data/· amember/data/new_rewrite/

5. This usually means CHMOD permissions 707 or 777. Which one will depend on yourserver configuration. Try 707, if you get an error in the installation procedure you canchange it to 777. If you are unsure about how to CHMOD your files, please see here.

3.4 Initial Setup

Setup GuideEach screen of the setup procedure has instructions about the information required. Pleaseread these instructions carefully!

Configuration Parameters

Note: You will be able to edit these later in the aMember Admin Control Panel.· Root URL of scriptThis will be http://www.yoursite.com/amember where yoursite.com is yourdomain. NO trailing slash!!· Secure (HTTPS) Root URL of scriptOnly required if you are using a secure connection. If not leave it blank. This willstart with https://· Admin EmailYour email address - the address to which alerts generated by the script will besent.· Admin LoginChose a login name for accessing the aMember Admin Control Panel· Admin PasswordChose a password for accessing the aMember Admin Control Panel· Template Cache LevelThis can be altered later in the Admin section - leave it at '0' during installation.· LicensePaste the full license key here. If you do not have a license key, log on tohttps://www.cgi-central.net/amember/member.php using the username andpassword supplied when you purchased the script.

Database Connection

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Installation 12


To create the aMember database some information is required about your MySQLdatabase. If you do not know this information please consult your hostingdocumentation or contact your host.

· MySQL HostVery often 'localhost' - if you are unsure, try that.

· MySQL DatabaseIf you created a database for aMember, enter its name. If you are using thedefault database created by your host it may be called something like 'yoursite_com' or 'yoursite_host_com' - if you are unsure please consultyour hosting documentation or contact your host.

· MySQL UsernameWill have been supplied to you by your host.

· MySQL PasswordWill have been supplied to you by your host.

· MySQL Tables PrefixThis is important if you are running several applications in the same database. Ifyou are unsure about this enter 'amember_' , including the underscore.

Setting-up cron job

aMember has ability to execute periodical jobs (update membership status, rebillcustomers, etc) without additional setup. However, it is more reliable to setup an externalcron job. If your hosting / control panel supports setting-up cron jobs, please do thefollowing:

· Go to aMember CP -> Setup -> Advanced and enable "Use External Cron"setting;

· Go to your webhosting control panel and setup a cron job that will run URLhttp://www.yoursite.com/amember/cron.php at 00:00 everyday.

Please read the following topic for more details .

Congratulations! You have successfully installed aMember!

3.5 How to set cron job

What is a cron job?The cron job is a sheduled task on the hosting server. You may choose to run specificprogram in specific time, periodically. In case of aMember Pro, we have to call aMember Propage (yes, just regular page: http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php) with browser.However, your hosting is using Linux/Unix, so there is no usual browsers like IE orNetscape. We will use command-line text mode browser, named Lynx. You may run it on Unix with thefollowing command: /usr/bin/lynx -sourceLine /usr/bin/lynx -source http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php will access specifiedURL and display HTML source of page. In our case, we don't need any output, we just need

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our page to be accessed, so we will ignore output.

Setting it upWe will provide here instructions for CPanel-based control panel. I hope you will be able tofind equivalent controls if your hosting uses different panel software.

1. Login into your webhosting control panel. You will see screen like that:

2. Click to "Cron Jobs" link. It may be also hidden in "Tools" or "Advanced" submenu. Youwill see screen offering you to choose your expirience level. Choose "Advanced".

3. You will see the following screen:

Installation 14


Into the empty bottom line, enter:

Minute = 0Hour = 0Day = * (means every day)Month = * Weekday = *Command = /usr/bin/lynx -source http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php Of course, replace yoursite.com to your actual domain name. Ensure that thisURL works, first try

to open it from your browser.

Click "Commit Changes"

4. On the next day, if you receive e-mail notifications from "Cron Daemon" that says thatsomething is wrong with your command, please read it carefully. It means that your cron job doesn't work. If it says "Command notfound" , try to use the following command lines: /usr/bin/curl -s http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php /usr/bin/wget -o/dev/null -O- http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php /usr/local/bin/lynx -source http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php /usr/local/bin/curl -s http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php /usr/local/bin/wget -o/dev/null -O- http://yoursite.com/amember/cron.php

If nothing helps, feel free to contact CGI-Central Support, and dont' forget to include yourwebhosting control panel login info and aMember CP (admin) login info.

3.6 First steps

aMember allows you to take payment using a number of different payment processors, formultiple products on your site.To set up the payments and have them processed automatically by aMember, there are a seriesof configuration steps that must be taken.

Step 1: Enable payment processor Plugins

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aMember has pre-existing plugins which allow you to easily take payment from a number ofpayment processors.

You can choose just one processor or multiple processors, in which case users will be able tochoose how they prefer to make payments. Of course you must have an account with apayment processor before you can use the plugin for that processor. To enable payment plugin, visit aMember CP -> Setup -> Plugins and enable necessarypayment plugins.

Step 2: Configure Payment PluginsConsult and follow the specific configuration information for each plugin you have enabled.You can find plugin configuration page at aMember CP -> Setup -> PLUGIN_NAME. Take anadvice to gray box below the plugin configuration screen - it displays content of readme.txtfile from plugin folder, make sure you read it.

Step 3: Set up ProductsIt is necessary that you set up some products (membership types). See Managing YourProducts for details.

Step 4: Conduct test purchasesBe sure to leave test thoroughly, before allowing users to subscribe and pay, to ensure thatyour systems are working.Visit page http://www.yoursite.com/amember/signup.php and try to signup. If your paymentprocessor supports test mode, then enable this mode and use test credit card numbers. If itdoesn't support, run a real payment, then visit your Payment system control panel and refundpayment (it cannot be done from aMember yet).

3.7 Setting-up protection

Protection BasicsEssentially protection allows you to make one or more areas on your site available only forregistered and not-expired customers. If you have protection set up correctly, only ACTIVE,that is paid and non-expired, customers will be able to access the protected area or areas. You already know that aMember allows you to have several membership types ("products")each of which broadly equates to a protected area. aMember allows considerable flexibility insetting up protection for these areas.For example, suppose you have 2 folders on your site:

/membersA/ /membersB/

and you have 3 products: Product #1 - gives access to folder A Product #2 - gives access to folder B Product #3 - gives access to both folder A and folder B

Please note: Products are always numbered. The id number is visible on the "aMemberAdmin Control Panel > Edit Products" page. First id is not always equal to 1, and second idis not always equal to first id increased by 1.

Installation 16


You can allow access as follows: /membersA/ access allowed for members subscribed to

products #1 OR #3 /membersB/ access allowed for members subscribed to

products #2 OR #3

Choosing the right method of protectionThere are several methods of protection available with aMember. The one you chose willdepend on both your hosting features and your needs.

METHOD

HTML loginform, no

ugly loginwindow

Username/password

invisible inURL and not

stored inbrowserhistory

Logout ispossible

Tracks IP toprevent

passwordsharing

Limitation tonumber of

user recordsPerformance

Requirements

Notes

new_rewrite ....

+

+

+ + no limits no limits mod_rewriteavailablefrom.htaccessfiles

mostprefferedmethod

mod_rewritewithphp_include ....

+ + + + no limits no limits mod_rewriteavailablefrom.htaccessfiles, PHPcompiled asApachemodule

this methodmay causeproblemswiththird-partyPHP scriptsin protectedarea

auto_prepend_file withphp_include.....

+ + + + no limits no limits mod_rewriteavailablefrom.htaccessfiles, PHPcompiled asApachemodule

cannot beused toprotectimages ordownloadablecontent, thismethod maycauseproblemswiththird-partyPHP scriptsin protectedarea

php_include.....

+ + + + no limits no limits all yourPROTECTED contentmust be PHPfiles

cannot beused toprotectimages ordownloadablecontent. Youhave tochange yourexisting files.All yourprotectedcontent mustreside in fileswith .phpextension.

htpasswd .....

- - - - limited no limits no specialrequirements,will work onany hosting

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As you can see from the table above, php_include with mod_rewrite is the preferred and mostuseful method of protection. If hosting limitations don't allow you to use this method, werecommend using htpasswd_secure protection. php_include plugin uses the MySQL database directly to authenticate members.htpasswd plugin builds .htpasswd and .htgroup files in amember/data/ folder. These files arecompletely updated every time anything is changed in the members database. The .htpasswd file contains a list of ACTIVE user accounts in the following form:username1:crypted_password1username1:crypted_password2

.htgroup file contains a list of products, each followed by a list of members who ownsubscription for the product:PRODUCT_1: username1 username2 username5 ...PRODUCT_2: username3 username4 username5 ...

NOTE. Most effective way to setup protection is to use aMember CP -> Protect Foldersfunction instead of manual procedures described in the manual. It will also show you list ofprotection methods available on your website.

Enabling Protection Plugins

Step 1. Enable protection pluginTo enable plugin, visit aMember CP -> Setup -> Plugins and enable necessary protectionplugins.

Step 2. Configure protection pluginVisit aMember CP -> Setup -> PLUGIN_NAME and setup necessary parameters if plugin requiresit.

Step 3. Follow plugin readme to actually enable protectionWhen you are on the page aMember CP -> Setup -> PLUGIN_NAME, have a look to readme texton this page.It will give you neccessary instructions to actually enable protection. This readme is speciallyuseful, because it contains .htacess files which can be used on your site without any changes.

Step 4. Test your protectionIf you followed payment process testing, as described above, you should already haveworking username and password to access protected area. Try to access protected area directly- it will ask you for username and password. Enter values and make sure that protection worksas expected.

3.8 Affiliate program

Starting from version 2.3.0, aMember includes affiliate program. To enable and use it, youhave to make the following steps:

Installation 18


1. Enable affiliate program usage, set aMember CP -> Setup -> Advanced : Enableaffiliate program = YES

2. Go to aMember CP -> Setup -> Affiliates and configure your affiliate program. Mostimportant is to enter commissions. Commissions can be set as absolute value, forexample if you set it as 10.25 will result to $10.25 commission. Or you can set it to be apercentage from amount paid, for example: 1.5%. Also, don't forget to choose payoutmethods that you will use to pay out your affiliates.

3. Go to aMember CP -> Setup Affiliate Banners (you will need to re-login into youraMember CP to start seeing this link. You have to setup some banners and text links thatyour affiliates will use to advertise your website. Add at least one text link, if you don'thave banners yet.

4. Last, but not least, you have to make affiliate cookies working. Recent version of IE andother browsers have the following "feature" - it don't store permanent cookies fromwebsites that don't have P3P policy. Please read this website http://www.p3ptoolbox.org,then build and install your own P3P policy.

5. Now, every member of your website (even those who never paid) can go toyoursite.com/amember/member.php and click link named "Advertise our website to yourfriends and earn money". Once he clicks this link, he will see pages with text links andbanners that you set on step (3).

6. When new customer comes by affiliate link and places order, affiliate will be creditedcorresponding commission. aMember Pro tracks all clicks and commisions, thisinformation is available for both admin and affiliate.

7. After some time, you have to go aMember Cp -> Affiliate Commissions, choose payoutmethod (only affiliates choosed this method will be displayed), and period. Werecommend to use default payout period, else you will be at risk of fraud. For example,we suggest to pay commisions for July in September, or even later. Usually it takes 2-3months for chargeback to come.

3.9 Upgrade from Free to Pro

If you are upgrading aMember Free to aMember Pro, follow these instructions:

1. Backup everything (both aMember Free files and database)2. Overwrite aMember free files with aMember Pro files.3. Delete amember/config.inc.php and amember/config_plugins.inc.php4. Run http://yoursite.com/amember/setup.php.

IMPORTANT: enter exactly the same database settings. aMember Pro setup will notdelete any tables or data, it just upgrades database structure to work with latest aMemberPro version.

Read more about Initial setup process

3.10 Upgrade Pro to newer version

1. Backup database and aMember files - it is IMPORTANTUse aMember CP -> Backup Db to get a copy of MySQL database

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and use FTP client to get copy of entire aMember folder.

2. Rewrite aMember files with new version. Usually you may keep your customizedUSER-SIDE templates (folder amember/templates/),however you MUST upgrade ADMIN-SIDE template files (folder amember/templates/admin/) and don't forget to upload new user-side template files, which have been not present in theinstalled version.

3. Run http://www.yoursite.com/amember/admin/upgrade_db.php It will upgrade database structure without losing of any data.

4. Check everything, we recommend you to run a test payment.

Part

IV

aMember Pro21


4 Payment Plugins

4.1 PayPal

This plugin uses traditional PayPal integration interface and supports both recurring andnon-recurring payments.

First you need to install the PayPal PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens Keeping Ctrl key pressed, click to paypal_r plugin in the payment plugins listPress Save

Accepting Payment with PayPalThere are two stages in setting up aMember to receive payments via PayPal

· Configure the aMember PayPal Plugin · Configure your PayPal Account

Configuring the aMember PayPal PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click PayPalThe Configuration : PayPal screen opens

NOTE: If there is no PayPal link in the top menu, this means you have not enabled thePayPal plugin. Please see Configuring Plugins.In the Configuration : Paypal screen there is just one piece of information to enter, the emailaddress used by the PayPal account you want to use to receive payments.

Configuring Your PayPal AccountFor PayPal to process payments correctly and pass the relevant information back to aMember,you need to set the PayPal IPN (Instant Payment Notification) URL To do this you must Login to your PayPal Account. The next step will depend on whether youare using a Personal or a Business/Premium account.

· PayPal Business AccountLog in to your Business or Premier PayPal account Go to the Profile subtab Click on Instant Payment Notification Preferences link in the Selling

Preferences column Click Edit Check the box and enter the URL to the file ipn.php in your installation:

http://www.yoursite.com/amember/plugins/payment/paypal_r/ipn.php



Payment Plugins 22


(please read note below regarding this URL)

Click Save

· PayPal Personal AccountLog in to your Personal PayPal account Go to the Sell tab Click on Technical Overview link in left-hand menu On the Technical Overview page, click on the Start using IPN link Click Edit Check the box and enter the URL to the file ipn.php in your installation:


(please read note below regarding this URL)

Click Save

Important NotesBefore you start, there are a couple of things to note.

Firstly, for payments through PayPal to be processed automatically by aMember you MUSThave a business or premium account. If you use a personal account you will have to approvethe payment in PayPal and then mark it complete in the aMember Admin Control Panelbefore the user will have access.

Secondly, the PayPal Recurring plugin behavior may appear strange, but it is correct. It setsthe expiry date for any active subscription to a future date in the year 2012. When thesubscription is cancelled, the expiry date is automatically set to yesterday's date - it disablessubscription access automatically.

Third, it is not required to change IPN URL in your account if you have it already entered(from another script, for example). It does not matter which IPN URL is entered, it is onlyrequired that IPN is enabled in PayPal account. aMember will anyway pass IPN URL witheach payment request, and PayPal will use given URL (it overrides setting in PayPal account).

MOST IMPORTANT - Email address entered into aMember settings MUST match yourPayPal account primary email address, else automatic payment confirmation will not work.

4.2 PayPal Pro

This plugin uses new WebPayments Pro PayPal interface. It offers nice features likeprocessing credit cards directly on your website, but it does not support recurring billing.

STEP I. CREATE AND CONFIGURE TEST OR LIVE PAYPAL ACCOUNT *** Sandbox (for tests) *** 1. Visit http://developer.paypal.com and create a developer's account.2. Click on the "Sandbox" tab, then click on "Create Account".4. Create a Sandbox account just as you would a normal Paypal account.



http://developer.paypal.com

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None of the information entered needs to be your actual information.5. To verify the account return to the Developer Central web page and select the email tab. All emails sent to your sandbox account will appear here. Find the verification email and follow the steps to verify the account.6. On the "Overview" menu click on "Add Bank Account" in the left column.7. Enter anything into "Bank Name" and click "Add Bank".8. Return to the "Overview" menu, and click on "Confirm Bank Account" in the left column, then click on "Submit" to confirm the account10. Return to the "Overview" menu, and click the "Add Credit Card" link in the left hand column of the page.11. Write down the Card Number Expiration Date and Card Verification Number, you will use this card to test your Direct Payment installation. 12. Click the "Add Card" button to complete this process.

*** Live Account configuration ***1. Follow all the instructions to set up your normal business PayPal account to use Web Payments Pro, including account verification, back account verification and signing up for Web Payments Pro (This last step may take 24-48 hours for approval)

*** The following steps are necessary for both Sandbox and Live accounts ***0. Download Certificate (Sandbox users will do this in their Sandbox account).1. Goto My Account > Profile.2. Click the API Access link and allow access to all API functions.3. Click the API Certificate Request link.4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your certificate request.5. Click on download and save the file, give it unique filename and upload to your server. If you upload it to amember/plugins/payment/paypal_pro/ folder, it will simplify following configuration.

STEP II. ENABLE AND CONFIGURE THE PLUGIN

1. Go to aMember CP -> Setup -> Plugins, disable "paypal_r" plugin if you have it enabled. On the same page, enable "paypal_pro" (this) plugin.2. Configure plugin at aMember CP -> Setup -> Paypal Pro If you have uploaded the certificate to "paypal_pro" plugin folder, you may enter just filename. Else you will have to enter full Unix path to file.

4.3 2Checkout

First you need to install the 2Checkout PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu

Payment Plugins 24


The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens Keeping Ctrl key pressed, click to twocheckout_r plugin in the payment plugins listPress Save

Accepting Payment with 2CheckoutThere are two stages in setting up aMember to receive payments via 2Checkout

· Configure the aMember 2Checkout Plugin · Configure your 2Checkout Account

Configuring the aMember 2Checkout PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click 2Checkout Rec. The Configuration : 2Checkout screen opens

NOTE: If there is no 2Checkout link in the top menu, this means you have not enabled the2Checkout plugin. Please see Configuring Plugins.In the Configuration : 2checkout screen there are three parameters to configure:

· Your 2Checkout Account ID· Enter your 2Checkout Account ID, a number that will have been supplied to you when

you signed up with 2Checkout. · Your 2checkout Secret Phrase· You MUST enter the identical phrase when configuring your 2checkout account - see

below. Enter a single word.

Configuring Your 2Checkout AccountFor 2Checkout to process payments correctly and pass the relevant information back toaMember. This procedure varies according to which 2Checout Plugin you are using· Login into your 2Checkout account: https://www2.2checkout.com/2co/login· Click to "Look&Feel Setttings" link. Set Approved URL: http://www.yoursite.com/amember/plugins/payment/twocheckout_r/thanks.php Pending URL: http://www.yoursite.com/amember/· Your Secret Word: set to any value you like. Enter the same secret word as you entered when configuring the2Checkout Plugin in aMember.

Important NotesBefore you start, there are a couple of things to note. For aMember to process payment for products through 2Checkout you must first defineproducts in your 2Checkout member area as described in the 2Checkout user manual. It isvery important that the price, period and other parameters are the same as in aMember. Writedown the 2checkout product numbers of any products you create in 2Checkout - you will needthem when adding products in aMember.

http://www.yoursite.com/amember/plugins/payment/twocheckout_r/thanks.php

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2Checkout doesn't return any information if a recurring payment fails or if it is cancelled.Instead, you will receive notification by email from 2Checkout. Once you receive thisnotification, login into your aMember Admin Control Panel and set the expiry date for thisuser to yesterday's date. This automatically disables the subscription but allows you to keepthe history of your charges and customers. It is preferable to use this method instead ofdeleting anything.

4.4 ClickBank

First you need to install the ClickBank PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens Select the ClickBank Plugin from Payment Plugins Click Save

Accepting Payment with ClickBankBefore you can use aMember to take payments via ClickBank, you must products in yourClickBank account. These products represent your future subscription types in aMember. The ClickBank account is also useful for testing aMember. To start testing, enter 0 for theprice into ClickBank product settings. Then you may signup as real user, but without enteringreal credit card information. There are two stages in setting up aMember to receive payments via PayFlow

· Configure the aMember ClickBank Plugin · Configure your ClickBank Account

Configuring the aMember ClickBank PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click ClickBank The Configuration : ClickBank screen opens

NOTE: If there is no ClickBank link in the top menu, this means you have not enabled theClickBank plugin. Please see Installing ClickBank PluginIn the Configuration : ClickBank screen there are two parameters to configure:

Your ClickBank Account Name This will have been supplied to you when you signed up with ClcikBank. Your ClickBank Secret Phrase Enter a word or series of characters. Make a note of this - you will need it later.

Configuring Your ClickBank AccountFor ClickBank to process payments correctly and pass the relevant information back toaMember.

Payment Plugins 26


Login into your ClickBank account On the top of the page click on the Click HERE to modify your account link On the next page click again on the Click HERE to modify your account link. At the bottom of this page you will find the THANK-YOU page fields. For each of your products (subscription types) you have to enter a number of parameters:

Thank you pagehttp://www.yoursite.com/amember/plugins/payment/clickbank/thanks.p

hp PriceMust be the same as in aMember. Changing the price in the aMember script will not affect ClickBank! You should enter 0 for price to test the script first. It will allow you to check thescript without making a real payment. Make sure to enter the real price aftertesting.

Write down the numbers of the products you create. You will need them later. Secret KeyAt the bottom of the page enter your SECRET KEY, the same word or string ofcharacters you entered in the ClickBank : Configuration screen in aMember. If you forget this key, you can find it, or edit it, in the aMember file config_plugins.inc.php.

Click on the Save Changes button. Your ClickBank account is now ready to receive payments using aMember. You will be askedfor the ClickBank product number of each product (subscription type) you add in theaMember Add Products screen.

4.5 VeriSign PayFlow Link

First you need to install the PayFlow PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens Select the PayFlow Plugin from Payment Plugins Click Save

Accepting Payment with PayFlowThere are three stages in setting up aMember to receive payments via PayFlow

· Rename the ipn.php file · Configure the aMember PayFlow Plugin · Configure your PayFlow Account

Rename the ipn.php FileThis is very important.You MUST rename the file: amember/plugins/payment/payflow_link/ipn.php to

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something hard to guess. For example: amember/plugins/payment/payflow_link/ix33kn_115.php Please make a note of this name, you'll need it later. Configuring the aMember Payflow Plugin

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click PayFlow The Configuration : PayFlow screen opens

NOTE: If there is no PayFlow link in the top menu, this means you have not enabled thePayFlow plugin. Please see Installing PayFlow PluginIn the Configuration : PayFlow screen there are two parameters to configure:

· Your PayFlow Username · Your PayFlow Partner Name

· These will have been supplied to you when you signed up with PayFlow.

Configuring Your PayFlow AccountFor PayFlow to process payments correctly and pass the relevant information back toaMember.

Login into your Payflow Link account On the menu click on the Account Info link From the left menu select the Payflow Link Info link There are a number of parameter to set in this screen:

Return URL Method Set to POST Return URL Set to http://www.yoursite.com/amember/thanks.php Silent Post URL Set to http://www.yoursite.com/amember/plugins/payment/payflow_link/ipn.p

hp Replacing ipn.php with the new name you gave this file earlier. Also check the box near this field. Force Silent Post Confirmation Check this box Failed Silent Post Return URL Set to http://www.yoursite.com/amember/plugins/payment/payflow_link/failed_ipn.php

When testing, you may disable real transaction processing (recommended). To do that, set Transaction Process Model to TEST Click on Save Changes button.

Payment Plugins 28


4.6 WorldPay

First you need to install the WorldPay PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens From Payment Plugins, choose the WorldPay plugin. Click Save

Accepting Payment with WorldPayThere are two steps in setting up aMember to receive payments via WorldPay

· Configure the aMember WorldPay Plugin · Configure your WorldPay Account

Configuring the aMember WorldPay PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click WorldPay The Configuration : WorldPay screen opens

NOTE: If there is no WorldPay link in the top menu, this means you have not enabled theWorldPay plugin. Please see Configuring Plugins.In the Configuration : WorldPay screen there are just two configuration items:

· WorldPay Installation ID· This will have been provided to you when you signed up with WorldPay · Test Mode· Leave at Yes until you have set up products and completed some test transactions.

Configuring Your WorldPay AccountLogin into WorldPay Control Panel

Set Postback URL to:http://www.yoursite.com/amember/plugins/payment/worldpay/ipn.php

You are now ready to receive payments through WorldPay.

4.7 Free

Free Signup is an payment plugin which allows you to create sites with free membership.Even if you are not offering free membership it is recommended that you enable this plugin, itwill not appear on your signup page. To use free signup products need to have a price of $0.00- ie to be free. This plugin is always enabled and it is impossible to disable it. It is hidden inpayment systems list on signup page and will be automatically used for payments with zerototal amount.

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Configuring the Free Signup PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Free The Configuration : Free screen opens

NOTE: If there is no Free link in the top menu, this means you have not enabled the freesignup plugin. Please see Configuring Plugins.In the Configuration : Free screen there are two parameters to configure:

· Require admin approval for new payments· If Yes: New signups will NOT be able to access the member area until their

membership has been approved by the administrator. · If No: New signups will have immediate access to the member area following

signup.· Send E-Mail to admin about new subscription

· If Yes: the administrator will receive an email each time a new member signsup

· If No: Emails will NOT be sent to administrator when a new member signs up HINT: If you decide to require admin approval for new subscriptions, then it is recommendedthat you enter 'Yes' to receive emails about new signups. This will alert you to go to thecontrol panel and approve new members.

4.8 Other plugins

If you are going to use another payment plugin, do the following:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opensFrom Payment Plugins, choose the necessary plugin. Click Save

Then go to aMember Admin Control Panel : Setup/Configuration: PLUGIN_NAME You will see configuration instructions in gray box in bottom - follow these instructions. It is

also validfor plugins described in this manual - plugin readme may contain more recent information

and actual URLs to setup.

Part

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5 Protection Plugins

aMember allows you to protect your content in a number of different ways. For thecomparsion, advantages and disadvantages of each method, please read this topic .

Consider using aMember CP -> Protect Folders function instead of manual proceduredescribed here. Described below is a manual procedure, and should be used only if aMemberCP -> Protect Foldes doesn't work for you by some reason. For detailed instructions about using each method, please see the pages below.

· Using new_rewrite· Using mod_rewrite with php_include protection· Using htpasswd protection· Using auto_prepend with php_include protection · Using php_include

Important NoteIf you are unfamiliar with creating and using .htaccess files, please read this page before youbegin.

5.1 Using new_rewrite

This plugin allow you add cookie-based login for ANY protected content. It can protect bothHTML files, downloadable content, and even complex PHP scripts. Currently, it is better andmost recommended protection technique.

Useful if:· You wish to protect CGI/PHP scripts, HTML content, images or downloads;

Not useful if:

· Your server does not support mod_rewrite. · You/your scripts already uses PHP rewrite. In this case, this method may not work.

Requirementsmod_rewrite available from .htaccess files (see below)

See your hosting server information if you are unsure.

Setting Up ProtectionPlease use aMember CP -> Protect Folders function and choose "new_rewrite" protectionmethod.

Adding a Logout LinkTo add a Log out link anywhere in your protected area you can can use the link http://www.yoursite.com/amember/logout.php

You can set where user will be redirected after logout at the aMember CP -> Setup ->php_include. By default, the user will be redirected to http://www.yoursite.com

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32

36

35

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Protection Plugins 32


5.2 Using mod_rewrite with php_include

This plugin allow you add cookie-based login for protected content. Any kind of files(HTML, images, downloads, CGI scripts) can be protected, except complex PHP scripts. Toprotect complex PHP scripts use other method of protection. Please note, it is always better to use new_rewrite protection method if possible.

Useful if:· You wish to protect images, PDFs or other file.

Not useful if:· Your server does not support mod_rewrite. · You protect complex PHP scripts - this method will not work. You may use plain

php_inlcude protection in this case.Requirements

mod_rewrite available from .htaccess files (see below) PHP compiled as Apache module

See your hosting server information if you are unsure. Usually, any Cpanel-based hostingor dedicated server will work.

Setting Up Protection

Note: use aMember CP -> Protect Folders function instead. Described below is a manualprocedure, and should be used only if aMember CP -> Protect Foldes doesn't work for you bysome reason.

Step 1: Add a .htaccess file to the protected directoryFor this plugin to work a .htaccess file must be added to the directory you wish toprotect. The following is the content you need for the .htaccess file:========================================RewriteEngine OnRewriteRule ^(.*)$ /amember/plugins/protect/php_include/rewrite.php

=========================================

Note: Please use correct links inside the protected area. If you link to a directory, write"/directory/" instead of "/directory" (use trailing slash). Also remember that protecting adirectory with .htaccess also protects any sub-directories within that directory. Unfortunately, the 404 File Not Found error page will never be displayed in this area.

How it Works in PracticeApache's mod_rewrite process access to all pages/images/anything loading throughaMember's file rewrite.php. This file checks the user's authorization in the database. · If the user has an active subscription to the product or products then the protected

content will be displayed. · If the user is not authorized yet, or has an expired subscription, then the login form is

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displayed again with an error message. The login form is template based and can be customized, you will find it at /templates/login.html

Protecting Multiple Areas (versions 1.9.4 and later)By default rewrite.php allows access to users with a subscription to products 1-21. Tochange this, please change your .htaccess as follows:========================================RewriteEngine OnRewriteRule ^(.*)$ /amember/plugins/protect/php_include/rewrite.php[E=PRODUCT_ID:"1;2;3"]

=========================================In this example, customers of products #1 and/or #2 and/or #3 will get access to protectedfolder where this file located.

Protecting Multiple Areas (versions before 1.9.4)By default rewrite.php allows access to users with a subscription to products 1-9. Tospecify the ditectory to which you wish to give access you must edit this file. To set up different protection status for different directories follow these steps: · Make a copy of the file rewrite.php. · Rename it rewrite_1.php · Open the file rewrite_1.php and edit it to specify the product number which gives

access to the directory you are protecting. · Edit the .htaccess file so that your new rewrite file is used for authorizing access:========================================RewriteEngine OnRewriteRule ^(.*)$ /amember/plugins/protect/php_include/rewrite_1.php

========================================= · This can be repeated for as many directories as you wish - ie you can create r

ewrite_2.php, rewrite_3.php etc.



5.3 Using php_include

This plugin allow you add cookie-based login for protected-pages. It is particularly useful foradding paid membership support to an existing PHP-based application.If your existing content is in standard .html files rather than .php files, see php_include withauto_prependUseful if:

· All your protected content, including images, is stored in PHP files. Not useful if:

· Images, downloadable content or other non-PHP files are included in your protectedcontent.

35



Requirementsmod_rewrite available from .htaccess files (see below) PHP compiled as Apache moduleSee your hosting server information if you are unsure. If you able to execute .php files,

then you are probably ok.

Setting Up ProtectionNote: use aMember CP -> Protect Folders function instead. Described below is a manualprocedure, and should be used only if aMember CP -> Protect Foldes doesn't work for you bysome reason.

Step 1: Include check.inc.php in your pagesFor this plugin to work the file /ammember/plugins/php_include/check.inc.phpmust be included at the very top (before the opening <html> tag) of the PHP pages youwish to protect as follows: ========================================<?$_product_id = array(1,3);include("aMember_Root_Dir/plugins/php_include/check.inc.php");

.. any existing PHP code goes here ..

?> ========================================

Note: You must edit the $_product_id array to reflect the aMember product which givesaccess to the page. For example, if access is confined to those with products 1 and 3 it will beas above. If it is confined to those with products 2 and 5 you would use $_product_id = array(2,5);

How it Works in PracticeWhen a user enters a URL to the protected page the aMember login form is displayed and theuser enters a username/password. This information is compared to entries in the memberdatabase to determine whether a user has the right credentials

· If the user has an active subscription to the product or products as defined in$_product_id then the protected page will be displayed.

· If the user is not authorized yet, or has an expired subscription, then the login form isdisplayed again with an error message.

The login form is template based and can be customized, you will find it at /templates/login.html If you are not using subscriptions or wish to allow any member to have access to a page,regardless of the subscriptions they hold, then you can define $_product_id as below: $_product_id = array('ONLY_LOGIN'); This simply checks that the username and password exist in the database. Be careful - it willallow access for non paying or expired members!

Adding a Logout LinkTo add a Log out link anywhere in your protected area you can can use the link

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http://www.yoursite.com/amember/logout.php


5.4 Using auto_prepend with php_include

This method of protection convert all your HTML files to PHP and allows you to authenticateusers using the database. You don't need to change file extensions nor do you need to changethe content of files.It is particularly useful for adding paid membership support to an existing site. Useful if:

· You wish to protect html files. Not useful if:

· SSI tags will not be handled in converted files, so if you use .shtml files this method isnot suitable for you

· Images, downloadable content or other non-html files are included in your protectedcontent.

RequirementsPHP compiled as Apache moduleSee your hosting server information if you are unsure. If you able to execute .php files,

then you are probably ok.


Step 1: Add a .htaccess file to the protected directoryFor this plugin to work a .htaccess file must be added to the directory you wish to protect.The following is the content you need for the .htaccess file:========================================AddType application/x-httpd-php .htmlAddType application/x-httpd-php .htmphp_value auto_prepend_file "/home/yoursite/public_html/path_to_protected_folder/protect.inc.php"

=========================================Be sure to replace /home/yoursite/public_html/path_to_protected_folder/ tothe actual path to the folder where .htaccess and protect.inc.ph files located.

Step 2: Create and add protect.inc.php fileOpen a text file and add the following to it:========================================<?$_product_id = array(1,3); require_once '/home/yoursite/public_html/amember/plugins/protect/php_include/check.inc.php';?>



========================================Be sure to replace /home/yoursite/public_html/amember/ to the actual path to youraMember folder. It can be found at aMember CP -> Info.

Note: You must edit the $_product_id array to reflect the aMember product which givesaccess to the pages in the directory. For example, if access is confined to those with products1 and 3 it will be as above. If it is confined to those with products 2 and 5 you would use $_product_id = array(2,5);

How it Works in PracticeThe server will now treat all .html files in the directory as .php files and will include the PHPfile protect.inc.php at the top of all these files. When a user enters a URL to a protected page the aMember login form is displayed and theuser enters a username/password. This information is compared to entries in the memberdatabase to determine whether a user has the right credentials

· If the user has an active subscription to the product or products as defined in$_product_id then the protected page will be displayed.

· If the user is not authorized yet, or has an expired subscription, then the login form isdisplayed again with an error message.

The login form is template based and can be customized, you will find it at /templates/login.html



5.5 Using htpasswd

This plugin will work to provide protection on any Unix based hosting plan. It will protect allcontent in any protected directory. However there are some disadvantages compared to usingphp_include plugin - for details see here . If it is possible for you to do so we recommendthat you use a php_include method.Useful if:

· You require strong protection but are not able to use php_include. Not useful if:

· You expect to have a very large database of members. There are some limits todatabase size with this method.

RequirementsNo special requirements


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Step 1: Enable htpasswd plugin.Open the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens Select Protection Plugins A list of the options available for protection appears, select htpasswd.

Step 2: Place .htaccess files in Protected DirectoriesIf you are unfamiliar with .htaccess files and how they work please read this page before youbegin.Each directory that will be protected must contain a .htaccess file which specifies the productwhich gives access to that directory. Creating Your .htaccess Files

· For sample .htaccess files, specifically configured to work on your server, click Setup/Configuration in the left menu of the aMember Admin Control Panel andchoose htpasswd from the top menu.

· The file will look something like this:

AuthType BasicAuthName "My Protected Directory"AuthUserFile/home/virtual/site91/fst/var/www/html/amember/data/.htpasswdAuthGroupFile/home/virtual/site91/fst/var/www/html/amember/data/.htgroupRequire group PRODUCT_2

· For each directory you wish to protect, create a .htaccess file by copying the code fromyour aMember Admin Control Panel into a plain text file and editing the line: Require group PRODUCT_2

to reflect the product number or numbers which give access to the directory. Ifmultiple products give access to the same directory, edit that line as follows:Require group PRODUCT_2 PRODUCT_5 PRODUCT_9

listing all the products that allow access. Save the file as .htaccess and upload to therelevant directory.

How it Works in PracticeNormally when an user enters a URL to a page protected with .htaccess an ugly gray loginscreen will pop up. After latest Internet Explorer fixes, it is impossible to avoid this login box.You can use advanced protection methods (php_include in different combinations) to avoid it.

Part

VI

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6 Third-party Plugins

6.1 Bulletin Board Plugins

Bulletin board plugins function in very much the same way, regardless of the particularbulletin board involved.Please note that it is advisable, before installing and using the Bulletin Board Plugin, that youhave already installed your Bulletin Board and set up the various user groups you need in theBulletin Board administration.

Overview· When a user signs up in aMember, the aMember script checks for an existing user

with the same username in the Bulletin Board database. · If the username is not found· The user can complete aMember signup in the normal way. · If the username is found· aMember checks whether the same email address and password are associated

with it· If the email address and password details are NOT the same the user

will be asked to chose another username as the one they have chosen isunavailable

· If the email address and password details ARE the same, the user willbe allowed to complete their signup with aMember

· When a user completes payment, aMember will add a new user record in the BulletinBoard, or, if appropriate, will upgrade the members record. (see below for details)

· When a user subscription expires, the member will revert to the previous user group inthe Bulletin Board.

Installing the Bulletin Board PluginOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens Select the Bulletin Board Plugin you wish to use from Protection Plugins Click Save

Configuring the Bulletin Board PluginThere are a number of parameters to configure here, which may vary slightly depending onthe particular bulletin board you are using.

· Board Db and Prefix· Enter the prefix used by the Bulleting Board tables in your database. For example if

using Invision Board, you would enter ib_· If you are unsure about this please refer to your database or to the documentation that

came with your Bulletin Board.

Third-party Plugins 40


· Default Level· This is the level to which non-paid customers will be assigned. When a member

subscription expires, they will be returned to this level. All the member levels youhave previously set up in your Bulletin Board will appear here.

· Denied Groups· This is an important parameter as it allows you to protect your administration

accounts. Any user groups chosen here will never be changed by aMember. All themember levels you have previously set up in your Bulletin Board will appear here.

Adding User Levels to ProductsOnce the Bulletin Board Plugin is installed a new parameter will be available in the AddProduct screen. This allows you to specify a Bulletin Board user group to be associated witheach product.If you are adding the Bulletin Board plugin and already have Products set up you will need toamend them to associate a Bulletin Board user group with each.Notes on Using Bulletin Board PluginsThere are two ways that you can set things up when using aMember with a Bulletin BoardPlugin.

· Disable user registration in the Bulletin Board and set links so that users mustsignup through aMember. Please see your Bulletin Board documentation for how todisable user registration and refer users to another page to signup.

· Keep user registration in the Bulletin Board, but restrict users registering in thisway to a default user group. Then you create new user groups, for paid users, whichcan be associated with your products in aMember. This is the recommended method inmost situations.

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aMember Admin CP Guide 42


7 aMember Admin CP Guide

7.1 Setup/Configuration

Before you begin to add products or members, you must finish configuring your aMemberInstallation.

Global ConfigurationThe Global Configuration screen allows you to set parameters that affect the entire aMemberscript. Some of these you will have already defined during setup.To open the Global Configuration screen:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel From the left menu, click Setup/Configuration aMember Pro Configuration : Global screen opens

There are a number of parameters to configure on this screen:· Root URL and Secure Root URL

The URLs to your aMember installation, eg http://www.yoursite.com/amemberYou already defined these during initial setup but they can be edited here if you wish.

· Admin Username and PasswordUsername and password for access to the aMember Admin Control Panel.These can be edited in this screen at any time.

· Generate Login · If 'Yes' then the script will automatically generate a Login ID (username)

when members signup, they will not be given the option to choose onethemselves.

· If 'No' then users will be able to choose their own username at signup· Login Maximum/Minimum Length

Set the maximum and minimum number of characters allowed in usernames.· Generate Password

· If 'Yes' then the script will automatically generate a password when memberssignup, they will not be given the option to choose one themselves.

· If 'No' then users will be able to choose their own password at signup· Password Maximum/Minimum Length

Set the maximum and minimum number of characters allowed in passwords· Require Unique Email

· If 'Yes' then a user will not be able to create separate accounts using the sameemail address.

· If 'No' a user will be able to signup multiple times with the same emailaddress.

Note: Entering 'Yes' does not preclude a member from having multiplesubscriptions - any member can have multiple subscriptions which they can accessusing the same email address, username and password.

· Use Address info

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· If 'Yes' then users will be asked to enter their full postal address when theysign up

· If 'No' no fields for address information will appear in signup forms and thisinformation will not be requested.

Advanced ConfigurationTo open the Advanced Configuration screen:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel From the left menu, click Setup/Configuration aMember Pro Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page select the Advanced link

7.2 Configuring Plugins

A number of the functions of aMember are provided by using plug-ins, a system whichenables individual administrators to choose precisely the functionality they require.After basic configuration is complete the next step is to enable the plug-ins that you will beusing.

How to Install Plug-insOpen the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Setup/Configuration from the left menu The Configuration : Global screen opens From the top menu on this page click Plugins The Configuration : Plugins screen opens

There are two categories of Plugin on this page:

· Payment PluginsA list of the payment options currently available, that is the different payment processorsand payment methods supported by aMember. It is recommended to always have the 'free'plugin enabled. It will not be displayed in payment methods list, but is useful for testingand allows the Administrator to add members free of charge in the aMember AdminControl Panel.You can enable multiple plugins by holding down the Ctrl key while making yourselection.

· Protection PluginsA list of the options currently available for protecting your pages/directories.You can enable multiple plugins by holding down the Ctrl key while making yourselection.

Configuring PluginsOnce you have added Plugins, a new menu item relating to each installed plugin will appear



on the top of the Configuration : Plugins screen. Click on the link to each plugin youinstalled to complete configuration. Instructions for each plugin are available elsewhere in thisGuide, please consult the section relating to the plugin you are configuring.

7.3 Managing Products

What is a Product?Understanding the concept of a 'product' or subscription type is central to understanding howthe aMember script works. Many membership management scripts limit you to having just one subscription type,protecting a single directory. This is not the case with aMember. You can have any number ofsubscription types, each relating to a protected directory or a set of files. Each subscriptiontype is referred to as a 'Product'.A product can have a number of predefined criteria. The easiest way to understand these is toadd a test product to aMember now, you will be able to delete this product later.

Add a ProductTo add a product

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel From the left menu, click Add Products The Add Product screen opens

The Add Product screen allows you to define a number of parameters for each product.Although you may not need to use all of them it is important to understand what each of themmeans.

· Product TitleThe name of your product. This will be displayed to users on the main signup pageand will also appear in the list of products that an existing member can add or renew.It is also used in various member and admin reports.

It is best to keep the title short.· Description

A brief description of the product, usually a description of the content to which theproduct gives access. This will be displayed alongside the product title on the mainsignup page. You can use HTML in this field.

· PriceThe cost of the subscription for the given period. Enter only a number here, withoutany currency symbols. Example: 12.25

· DurationThe length of time for which a subscriber will be able to access the protected content,also referred to as the period of subscription or the subscription cycle.

Duration can be defined in days, calendar months or years. Calendar month meansthat if the subscription starts on January 3rd, it must be renewed, or will expire,exactly on February 3rd. The duration is entered as a number followed by 'y' for years,'m' for months and 'd' for days - eg 4m is 4 calendar months.

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Note: It is not a good idea to use 30d - ie 30 days - or similar entries to model amonth, months, indeed years, can have different numbers of days!

· Product URLThis is the URL to the content to which you wish this product to give access.

The purpose of this field is simply to create a link to the content in the list of theirsubscriptions which a member will see. If you leave this field blank the Title willappear as plain text rather than a link in the Member Page (member.php)

Please Note: Entering a URL here does NOT protect content. For informationabout protecting your content please see the section "Setting up protection"

· ScopeThis determines where on your site information about this product will be displayed.You have 4 options:

· Visible to All: The product will be displayed on the main signup page ANDwill be available to existing members in the Add/Renew subscriptions list.

· Only Signup: The product be displayed on the signup page only, it will NOTbe available to existing members.

· Only Members having paid subscriptions: The product will NOT bedisplayed on the main signup page, it will only be available to existingmembers.

· Disabled: The product will not appear for any users. It will still be available inthe Admin Control Panel for manual signups.

· Sorting OrderThis is a very useful field for those who have many products. It determines the orderin which products will be listed on the signup page and in the list of products shownto members.

Products are normally sorted alphabetically. By entering a number in this field youcan override this alphabetical sorting. It also allows you to group products for displayby entering the same number for each of them.

Products will be sorted first by the number entered here, then alphabetically.· Price Group ID

Again, a useful field for those with many products. Its primary use is to createdifferent signup pages for different groups of products.

If you enter a negative value - for example '-1' - the product will NOT be displayed onthe default signup page. You can instead use the link http://www.yoursite.com/amember/signup.php?price_group=-1 for a signup pagewhich displays products in this price group only.

· Display AgreementTick this box if you wish users to indicate their agreement with your terms andconditions before their signup is completed. An individual user will see this

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agreement only once. You can add your terms and conditions by editing the file agreement.html in the templates/ folder.

· Payment Information Depending on what payment plugins you have configured there will also be fieldsabout payment information. Please refer to the notes beside each field beforecompleting them.

· Renewal Group This field explained in the next topic .

Edit a ProductTo edit an existing product:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel From the left menu, click Edit Your Products The Products (Subscription Types) List opens Click the Edit link in the Actions column of the product you wish to edit.

Changing the details of a product will NOT affect existing customers.

Delete a ProductTo delete a product:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel From the left menu, click Edit Your Products The Products (Subscription Types) List opens Click the Delete link in the Actions column of the product you wish to delete

NOTE: You cannot delete a product to which there have already been subscribers. If youwish to delete a product to which there are already subscribers, you must first delete allsubscriptions to the product. See Managing Payments for details.

7.4 Products Renewal Groups

Renewal Group setting

Value in this field in product settings defines how aMember will calculate subscription startdate when user renews his membership or adds a new subscription via amember/member.phppage. If user already has a subscription to a product WITH THE SAME renewal group,aMember will use expiration date of previous subscription as start date for new subscription.If user has no such subscriptions, aMember will use current date as start date. Basically,products which grants the same level of access must have the same Renewal Group value. Ifthis field has negative numeric value, it will always set subscription start date to current date,allowing member to have several subscriptions to the same product.

Examples

1. Site offers one level of access

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For example, there are only 2 products exists in aMember:

- Monthly Subscription RENEWAL GROUP set to BASIC - Year Subscription RENEWAL GROUP set to BASIC

In this case, you should set "Renewal Group" for both products to something like "1" or"BASIC", or any other equal value. Default empty value will also work fine.If your site offers only one level of access, Renewal Group must be set to the same value forall products, and then new subscription period will be added to existing.

For example, user has existing Monthly subscription: Jan 01, 2006 - Jan 31, 2006. Jan 15 hecomes to amember/member.php and orders a new Yearly Subscription. It will be added with thefollowing period: Feb 01, 2006 - Feb 01, 2007 This way customer never loose paid period.

2. Site offers not-related products with different level of accessFor example there are the following 2 products: - Subscription to Football News RENEWAL GROUP set to FOOTBALL- Subscription to Baseball News RENEWAL GROUP set to BASEBALL

In this case, products are unrelated and subscription dates should not be added when userorders second subscription. For example, user has subscription to Football News: Jan 01 2006- Jan 31 2006. Jan 15 he comes to amember/member.php and orders a new Baseballsubscription. It will be added with the following period: Jan 15 - Feb 15 2006.

3. Site offers not-related products with different periods and level of access

- Monthly Subscription to Football News RENEWAL GROUP set to FOOTBALL- Year Subscription to Football News RENEWAL GROUP set to FOOTBALL- Monthly Subscription to Baseball News RENEWAL GROUP set to BASEBALL- Year Subscription to Baseball News RENEWAL GROUP set to BASEBALL

This sample combines behaviour described above.

7.5 Managing Users

What is a Member?A Member is a user of your site who is registered in the aMember script (usually via signup.php). Each member has a unique login ID (username) and password.

What happens to expired members?While expired members will no longer have access to protected content, they are NOT deletedfrom the database when their membership expires. This is important, as it means that any dataassociated with expired members is still available for reporting and history purposes. There



are other advantages, for example it means that expired members can login to renewsubscriptions and can also, optionally, be included in emails sent by the administrator.

Adding Users/MembersBefore adding members you must have at least one product to subscribe them to. If you havenot already done so return to the Managing Products of this guide and set up a test productnow.

To add a member, or user: Open the aMember Admin Control Panel. Click Add User in the left menu. The Add User Screen opens

The add a user form is pretty self explanatory. Fill in the details for a test user (you candelete this user later).

· Click Save and you will see a message: Information has Been Saved. · Click the Continue link, then you will be redirected to User Payments page· Using Quick Add form, add a subscription to customer. By default, both start and

expiration dates are set to today, but it can be easily changed.

Managing UsersYou can edit both the user information and any member payments at any time from theAdmin Control Panel. In addition to 'User Information' and 'User Payments/Subscriptions' onthe top of the member record page there are two other links

· ActionsDelete a member, resend the signup email to a member or merge member records. · Access LogLists recent access by the member to aMember and to other member areas that use PHPprotection

Finding MembersaMember makes it very easy to find your members, either individually or by a number ofdifferent criteria.

· Click Browse users on the left Menu to browse through your members, listed byusername.

· Click Search Users on the left menu to search through the user database using any ofthe various criteria listed there.

· Enter part of username, name or email into the input box in left menu and press Enterkey

Note: Once a user has been added as a member, they will be able to access their member pageat http://www.yoursite.com/amember/member.php, using the username and password intheir member record. However adding a user as a member does not give access to any content,you must subscribe user (add a payment).

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7.6 Managing Payments

What is a Subscription?A subscription is a permission for the user to use a defined product (that is, to access some setof pages/directories) for a specified period of time. A subscription is set up when a person makes a payment for a product, so subscriptions arealso referred to as "Payments". This payment can be a real payment, or a 'not-real' payment inthe case of free signups.

Adding a SubscriptionWhile in practice most members will probably subscribe themselves by using the public partsof the aMember script, as administrator you can manually subscribe members to any of yourproducts.To add a subscription for a member, first open the Member Record:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Browse Users from the left menu to find the test user you created earlier Click on the User Payments/Subscriptions link on the top of the page The User Subscriptions screen opens

There are a number of parameters here to set for each subscription:· Select a product from the drop down Products List to subscribe this member to · Set the period (start and end dates) of the subscription · Select the payment method

By default, when subscribing a member through the Control Panel, Manual Paymentis selected, but you can choose any payment method that you have configured

· Enter the amount paid - this will be displayed to the user in their payment history · Tick the checkbox to mark the subscription paid · Click 'Add' - you will see a message: Information has Been Saved

Return to the payments screen for this user by clicking the 'User Payments/Subscriptions' linkon the top of the page. You will see that the information you just added now appears in themember's list of subscriptions.

Complete and Incomplete SubscriptionsA subscription does not necessarily give a user immediate access to protected content. If payment was not completed, if you have configured the script to require admin approval ofnew subscriptions or if you have not ticked the 'Paid' box when adding a manual subscription,then the subscription will initially be incomplete. An incomplete subscription does not give the user access to any content. The administratorcan manually change a subscription from incomplete to complete by ticking the 'paid' box inthe 'User Subscriptions/Payments' screen.

Edit a Payments/SubscriptionTo edit an existing subscription:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Browse Users from the left menu to find the test user you created earlier Click on the User Payments/Subscriptions link on the top of the page The User Subscriptions screen opens



Click the Edit link to the right of the payment record you wish to edit You can edit any of the payment criteria.

Suspend a Payment/SubscriptionWhen in the Edit screen for any payment, changing the status of the subscription from'Complete' to 'Incomplete' will deny the user access to the subscribed content related to thatpayment, effectively suspending the subscription.

Delete a Payment/SubscriptionTo delete an existing subscription:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel Click on Browse Users from the left menu to find the test user you created earlier Click on the User Payments/Subscriptions link on the top of the page The User Subscriptions screen opens Click the Delete link to the right of the payment record you wish to delete

7.7 Coupons

What is a Coupon?When you create a coupon a coupon number is generated. A user entering this number duringsignup will receive a discount on their subscription.You can define several criteria for any given batch of coupons.

Adding a Coupon BatchTo add a new coupon batch:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel. Click Coupons in the left menu. In the coupons screen click the Generate Coupons link.

The following criteria can be defined for a batch of coupons:· Coupon Count

The number of coupons you wish to add to this batch. This will determine how manydifferent coupon numbers are generated. It will often be just one. However if you arerunning advertising campaigns you might wish to use a different coupon number foreach ad to determine which returned the better results.

· Coupon Usage CountThis determines the number of times that the coupons in this batch can be used.Entering 100 would mean that only the first 100 people entering a coupon code wouldbe able to avail of the discount. To allow unlimited use enter a very large number.

· Member Coupons Usage CountDetermines how often an individual user can use a coupon. If you enter '1' then anyindividual user will only be able to use the coupon on a single occasion.

· Code LengthDetermines the number of characters in the coupon code.

· Discount

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You can apply the discount either as a percentage or as an absolute value - eg aspecified number of dollars.

· DateYou can specify the start and end dates during which the coupon can be used.Alternately by ticking the 'Don't limit date of usage' the coupon code will be validindefinitely.

· LockedTick this box if you wish to disable the coupons. they will be retained in the databaseand can be reactivated later.

· ProductsSelect the products or product to which the coupon can be applied. If you do not makea selection here the coupon will be useable for subscription to any of your products.

WARNING: If you do not define the products to which the coupon can be applied, then itis in most cases advisable to ensure that the discount is defined as an absolute value. Ifyou apply the discount to all products, and it is a percentage discount, it would be possiblefor a user to order multiple products and receive the percentage discount on their totalvalue.

Editing CouponsTo edit a coupon:

Open the aMember Admin Control Panel. Click Coupons in the left menu. Click on the Edit link next to the coupon batch you wish to edit

The following parameters can be edited:· Discount: The amount of discount allowed by the coupons in a batch · Date: The date range during which a batch of coupons can be used · Products: The products for which the discount can be applied · Locked: Tick the check box to temporarily disable the coupon batch

Coupon Usage StatisticsaMember keeps a record of the number of times each coupon is used. You can view therecord of all coupons in a batch by clicking on the Batch number in the coupons screen.

7.8 Error and Access Logs

There are a number of log files available in the aMember Admin Control Panel.

Error LogsContains a list of error/debug messages for periodical review by site owners. The error log canbe cleared by using the Delete Old Records function.

Access LogsA log of access to site by authenticated users, ie members. The log files may or may not showall queries, depending on the protection scheme used:



· Using php_include means that all access to any protected areas will be logged. · Using htpasswd or htapasswd_secure protection means that only access to aMember

files, such as the Member Profile page (member.php) will be logged. Access to theactual protected areas is not logged. However if you enable IP-Checking with.htpasswd you can log access to these protected areas. Please read this topic for details

.

The access log can be cleared by using the aMember CP -> Delete Old Records function.

7.9 IP-based access control

aMember allows you to control the access that members have based on their IP address. Thisaccess can be controlled both on a site wide level and on an individual user level.To Set General Access Controls

· Open the aMember Admin Control Panel · From the left menu chose Setup/Configuration · From the top menu chose Advanced · The Advanced Configuration window opens · There are two options here for access control:

· Maximum count of different IP

· Set this to the maximum number of different IP addresses a single user mayconnect from in a given period.

· Count IP for ... hours· The period in hours for which IP addresses should be counted

IP-Checking works automatically if you are using php_include protect plugin. But it ispossible and recommended to setup IP-protection for your static pages protected with .htpasswd too. See here for details.

Controlling Access on a User by User BasisThere also options for IP locking that can be used on a user by user basis. These allows you tocontrol the access of individual members. This may be useful for example if you wish to ban auser, or to allow a user more liberal access than would be permissible under the IP accesscontrol settings as set above. To see these options open any user record.

· Open the aMember Admin Control Panel · From the left menu chose Browse users · Open any user record · In the record you will see a field: "Locked: auto-locking by IP" · There are three options here:

· No (default): means not-locked, user has normal access · Yes: means locked - user's access is suspended · Disable Autolock for this User: User will be able to connect using as many

different IP addresses as they wish.

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Setting up IP-Checking with .htpasswd protectionTo enable IP checking if you are protecting files with htpasswd or htpasswd_secure, youmust create in each your of your protected directories a php file, named log_access.phpwith following content: <? include "/home/user/public_html/amember/log_access.inc.php"; ?>

When a user accesses this file, the aMember script automatically writes a log record and doesIP checking. To ensure that this file is called automatically, you must insert in your protected HTML pagesfollowing code: <script src="log_access.inc.php"></script>

or <img src="log_access.inc.php" width=1 height=1>

The above assumes that the log.access.inc.php file is in the same directory as the pages towhich the code is added, as it should be.

Part

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8 Customization

8.1 Templates Customization

The appearance of aMember is totally template based, which means it is easy to customize itto match the rest of your site.Finding the templatesCustomizing Header and Footer FilesCustomizing the CSSCustomizing Other Script Pages

Finding the TemplatesThe templates which determine the appearance of the front end (that is the parts visible tousers) are located in the folder /templates/Templates which determine the appearance of the Admin Control Panel are located in /templates/admin/

Customizing Header and Footer FilesFor many people customizing the header and footer files will be all that is required, since thiscan make the pages immediately look like the rest of your site. You may use any HTML youwish in these files, but be careful to ensure that you URLS and paths are all valid from theaMember directory.If you are inexperienced at creating header and footer files please see here for a detaileddescription of how to create custom headers and footers.

Customizing the CSSThe CSS in the head of the default /templates/header.html page determines the font styleand size of the text on script pages and the background colors of tables and table cells. It canbe edited to make the styles match your own site.The CSS information in the header template can be removed to your existing externalstylesheet, just make sure the link to that stylesheet is correct in the header template.

Customizing Other Script PagesEach page in the aMember user interface has a corresponding template page which you canedit. For example the file /aMember/signup.php has the corresponding template/amember/templates/signup.html

Editing these pages is straightforward but as they each contain PHP and/or Smarty codeessential for the functioning of the script it is important to be careful when you make yourchanges.

8.1.1 Creating header and footer files

The easiest way to create custom header and footer files is to start with an existing page onyour site. Follow these steps:

· Open an existing page on your site and save it in a new name - say amtemplate.html

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· Remove all the content you do not wish to include in the aMember pages. · You need to change all the urls in the HTML from relative to absolute. Links, image

paths and so on must all be changed.

For example if you have a link to your home page that reads <a href=index.html>

this must be changed to <a href=http://www.yoursite.com/index.html>

Similarly if you have an image called using <img src=../images/image.gif> it needs to be amended to <img src=http://www.yoursite.com/images/image.gif>

(Alternatively you can edit all URLs to be relative from the root. This means all willbegin with a forward slash - eg "/images/image.gif")

· From the aMember template file /templates/header.html, copy the CSSinformation into the head area of your page.

· Now write the word "HERE" in the part of the page where you want the script pages toappear, this is usually the main part of the page.

· The content of the page which appears above the word "HERE" is your header - copyit into a new file and save as header.html

· The content of the page which appears below the word "HERE" is your footer - copy itinto a new file and save as footer.html

· Replace the aMember files /templates/header.html and/templates/footer.html with your new ones - don't forget to back up the originalsfirst!

8.2 Adding login-form anywhere on your site

Use the following to add a login form anywhere you wish on your site:

<form action="/amember/login.php" method=post>Username: <input type=text name=amember_login size=10><br>Password: <input type=password name=amember_pass size=10><br><input type=submit value=Login></form>

If your page is PHP, you may display "smart" login form like that:

<?php session_start(); if ($au=$_SESSION['_amember_user']){ // user is logged-in print "Hello $au[name_f] $au[name_l]!<br>"; print "<a href='/amember/logout.php'>Logout</a>"; } else { // user is not logged-in print "<form method=post action='/amember/login.php'> Username: <input type=text name=amember_login size=10><br> Password: <input type=password name=amember_pass size=10><br> <input type=submit value='Login'> </form>"; } ?>

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Make sure you also add <?php session_start(); ?> into the FIRST line in your script, no output before, else youwill get errors like that:

Warning: session_start(): Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent by (output startedat

8.3 Include member's data into pages

1. Adding Member data to the Member profile PageIt is possible to include data from the members table in the database in your Member Profilepage. For example, you may wish to include a "Welcome John Doe" message at the top of theMember Profile page.To do this edit the file templates/member.html, adding the following:

Welcome, {$smarty.session._amember_user.name_f}

{$smarty.session._amember_user.name_l} !You can also add additional information. For example the following would add the member'sphone number:

{$smarty.session._amember_user.data.phone}

2. Adding Member Information to PHP PagesIf you are using PHP pages on your site, you can also add member information to additionalpages. In this case you are using session information to add the data, it will only appear whena member is logged in.To add a welcome message use the following code:

<? session_start();print "Welcome, " . $_SESSION['_amember_user']['name_f'] . " " .$_SESSION['_amember_user']['name_l'];?>

Again, added fields must be used as $_SESSION['_amember_user']['data']['phone']

8.4 Adding new fields

There are two set of additional fields that can be added to the aMember signup page and thusto the Member database.

1. To add fields already in the databaseBy default the following fields are not included in the sign up form:

· street (text) · city (text) · state (text or select, your choice) · zip (text) · country (text or select, your choice)

You can activate these fields from the aMember Admin Control Panel as follows:

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Open the aMember Admin Control Panel From the left menu, click Setup/Configuration aMember Pro Configuration : Global screen opens Find the field: Use Address info

· If 'Yes' then users will be asked to enter their full postal address when theysign up

· If 'No' no fields for address information will appear in signup forms and thisinformation will not be requested.

2. Add Custom Fields from aMember Control PanelYou can add fields from Control Panel. Go to aMember CP -> Add Fields, and define newfields. You can also change order of added fields.

3. Define and Add Custom Fields from PHP codeThis requires some editing of script files but is easy to do. Please remember to keep a backupof the original file in case of errors.Also, consider using method (2) - this method is depricated.

To add another text field For the purposes of this example, lets suppose you want to add a text field to collect aCompany Name.

Open the file config.inc.php Add the information for the new field at the bottom of the config.inc.php file,just before "?>" Add the following at that location:

add_member_field('company', 'Company Name','text', 'company of member');

Save config.inc.php

The new field will now appear in Admin Control Panel for each customer. If you want to add it to signup page, you have to edit the template templates/signup.html and add text input field named 'company'.

To Add Select Fileds

This is a similar procedure to that described above. For the purposes of this example let'sassume you want to ask where people heard about your site.

Open the file config.inc.php Add the information for the select or radio button at the bottom of the config.inc.php file, just before "?>" Add the following at that location:

add_member_field('where_heard', 'Where did you hear about

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us','select', 'select where you heard about our site','',array('options' => $items = array('link' => 'Link from another site','friend' => 'Referred by a Friend','press' => 'Newspaper or Magazine','other' => 'None of the above')));$config['where_heard_items'] = $items;

The select box will now appear in the Admin Control Panel in the member profileTo add the field to your sign up page edit the file templates/signup.html, usingthe following:

<tr><th><b>Where did you hear about us?</b><br><small>please stell us how you heard about outsite.</small></th><td nowrap><select name=where_heard size=1>{html_options options=$config.where_heard_itemsselected=$smarty.request.where_heard}</select></td></tr>

Add Field to Payments TableThe examples above add fields to the member table in the database. It is also possible toadd custom fields to the payments table in a similar way. In that case your entry inconfig.inc.php will in each case begin with add_payment_field instead ofadd_member_field

8.5 Creating new integration plugins

This chapter requies serious PHP programming expirience. We recommend you to contact [email protected] for suggestion, if you not sure that you have such knowledge.

What is integration plugin?Integration plugin is an add-on for aMember which allows you to maintain third-partymembers database or solve other tasks. It consists from several PHP files. This guide willshow you how to create such a plugin and test it.

8.5.1 How to start

You will need text editor and FTP client to create a plugin.

Creating plugin template: 1. Copy folder amember/plugins/protect/plugin_template/ to some other folder, lets say


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"some_your_plugin_name";2. Rename "plugin_template.inc.php" to "some_your_plugin_name.inc.php";3. In the plugin files, replace all occurrences of "plugin_template" to "some_your_plugin_name" (of course, without quotes);4. Now please open "some_your_plugin_name.inc.php" with your favorite text editor and letswrite some code.

Usually you have to define code at least for user status changes .

8.5.2 Understanding user record

First, let us explain: member record is an array, usually we name it $member in the code. Itcontains the following fields, for example: $member['login'] $member['pass'] $member['name_f'] $member['name_l'] $member['email']Also, there is a special "field" called "data" ($member['data']). It contains all additionalfields (fields which you've added with using of add_member_field() function. So, if you added field phone, there will be define a varaible : $member['data']['phone']

What is user status?aMember always hold and maintain user status in several fields. Because member can haveseveral subscriptionsfor different products in the same time, we maintain 2 status fields: $member['data']['status']This field is an associative array. Keys are product IDs, and values are status value for thisproduct. 0 means that subscription for this product is not active (never paid or expired), and 1means that subscription is active (paid and not-expired). This field should be used for mostcalculations in plugins.

$member['status']This field is mostly for usage in aMember code, but you can use it as well. It is status of entiremember record and it can have the following values: 0 - never paid (user never had completedsubscriptions), 1 - paid and active (user have at least one completed and active subscription),2 - expired (all user subscriptions have been expired)

8.5.3 How to setup a plugin hook

A plugin hook can be set with this line of code:setup_plugin_hook('subscription_added', 'plugin_template_added');It means that for even subscription_added, aMember will run functionplugin_template_added. There can be several hooks called for the same event.

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8.5.4 Plugin hooks - member status

These hooks called when changes made to aMember database and you need to update yourthird-party members database.

subscription_added($member_id, $product_id, $member)This hook will be called when user subscription status $member['data']['status']changed to active (1) for product with ID = $product_id. In this case, you have to add (orupdate) member record in your database, or execute some other actions regarding thisevent.

Please note - because user may have subscriptions for several products, your databasemay already hold this customer record. Then you should update it with new password, forexample and you should unlock customer record if necessary.

It is important to understand this hook is not necessary called for every payment. It iscalled only when user status for product changes. So, when user already have activesubscription for product, and he orders this product again, this hook will not be called. Ifyou need to call a function for every member payment, have a look to"finish_waiting_payment" plugin hook.

subscription_updated($member_id, $oldmember,$newmember)This hook will be called when user (or admin) updates profile. You should updatecustomer profile in your database accordingly, if such profile exists in your database.

New info will be stored in $newmember variable, and old info will be in $oldmembervariable. $oldmember will alsohelp you to find user record in your database. Don't forget - login can be changed too! (byadmin)

Also, if you need to use member status fields in this function, use it from $oldmembervariable - these fields areempty in $newmember variable.

subscription_deleted($member_id, $product_id, $member)This function will be called when user subscriptions status for $product_id becomesNOT-ACTIVE. It may happenif user payment expired, marked as "not-paid" or deleted by admin. This function is anopposite for subscription_added.

Be careful here - user may have active subscriptions for another products and he may beshould still in your database - check $member['data']['status'] variable to be sure that userhas no other subscriptions allowing his to access your application.

subscription_removed($member_id, $member)

This function will be called when admin (or aMember) completely deletes member

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profile from aMember database with all related payments and other info.

Your plugin should delete user profile from database (if your application allows it!), or itshould just disable member access if your application if application doesn't allow profilesdeletion.

subscription_rebuild(&$members)This function will be called when admin clicks on aMember CP -> Rebuild Db link. Thisfunction allows admin to ensure that third-party members databases are synchronised withaMember members Db. aMember sends a short list of members. Each key is a memberlogin, each record is an assotiative array with the following fields:

array( 'pass' => 'MEMBER PASSWORD', 'product_id' => array('LIST','OF',

'ID OF PRODUCTS','WHICH MEMBER IS SUBSCRIBED FOR') )

It is not necessary to implement this hook.

8.5.5 Plugin hooks - login helpers

aMember Pro allows you to implement an unqiue feature - "single-login". It means that whenuser is logged-in to third-party application, he automatically become logged-in in aMemberand vice-versa.

Please note - there is one potenial problem - when user clicks Logout in aMember, it ispossible to implement that member will be logged-out automatically from third-partyapplication. However, it is impossible to implement that when user logs out from third-partyapplication, he automatically logs-out from aMember. It can be resolved by replacing logoutlink in third-party application - it must point to aMember logout page : http://www.yoursite.com/amember/logout.php

check_logged_in()This function must check if user is logged-in in third party application. Function can usecookies, sessions and database info to determine this. Function must return: array('username', 'password') if user logged-in and array('', '') if user is not logged-in

after_login($member)This function must login user into third-party application. It can use $member to getmember info from aMember database.If this function has incorrect code, it is a potential hole - please be careful. This functionmust check third-party membersdatabase and ensure that enabled user with exactly the same username and password isexists in third-party

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after_logout()This function must logout user from third-party application. You must clear cookies,session data, database records - anything that you have set in after_login() and that youused in check_logged_in() functions.

8.5.6 Plugin hooks - signup helpers

check_uniq_login($login, $email, $pass)This hooks allows you to check if user is exists in third-party database before he cansignup using amember/signup.phpform. By default, aMember plugins do the following checks : - if user with the same username , email and password is exists, allow signup - if username is the same, but email or password is different - don't allow signupFor example, it won't allow "hackers" to get access to existing, but not-paid forumaccount.Function shoulld return 1 if user is allowed to signup, and 0 if user is not allowed tosignup.

fill_in_signup_form(&$vars)This hook is rarely used, hovewer it offers you great ability to pre-fill signup form inamember with info received from third-party database, if user is logged-in in third-partyapplication. For example, if user is logged-in in Invision Board, this function mayautomatically fill-in username and email fields in aMember signup form. To do it, youhave to determine if user is logged-in in third-party application, get user info fromthird-party database and save this info to $vars array.

8.6 Extending aMember with PHP

This chapter requies serious PHP programming expirience. We recommend you to contact [email protected] for suggestion, if you not sure that you have such knowledge.

Right way to add small piece of code to aMemberWe recommend you to create file amember/site.inc.php and put all your customization codeto this file. If you follow this advice, your customizations won't be lost after upgrade, and itwill be easy to track.

To start, upload file amember/site.inc.php with the following content:<?php// customization code must be added below this line?>Make sure that there are no spaces, newlines or any other output before <? or after ?>.

Before you read this topic, make sure you've read topic "Understanding user record " inprevious chapter. It is necessary for understanding of this chapter.

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8.6.1 Hooks - validation functions

validate_signup_form(&$vars)This function will be called when user submits signup form. $vars is an array ofsubmitted values. You may check it and return array of errors. If no errors found, you mayreturn empty array.This function is extremelly useful, when you added some fields and need to validateentered values for these fields. This function can also change submitted variables(validation goes before any processing).Example (validates additional phone and fax fields ):

function vsf(&$vars){$errors = array();if (!strlen($vars['phone'])

$errors[] = "Please enter phone number;if (!strlen($vars['fax'])

$errors[] = "Please enter fax number;}setup_plugin_hook('validate_signup_form', 'vsf');

validate_member_form(&$vars)This function will be called when user submits renewal form from http://www.yoursite.com/amember/member.php. $vars is an array of submitted values.You may check it and return array of errors. If no errors found, you may return emptyarray. Please note, that this form doesn't contain any member info. However, you may getmember info from session.

8.6.2 Hooks - payments update

finish_waiting_payment($payment_id)This function called when payment(subscription) status changes to Paid ("Completed").Then you can retreive info from database about payment and use it to execute someactions. Please note - if admin switches payment status Paid -> NotPaid -> Paid from controlpanel, this function can be executed twice for the same payment. Be careful.Example of this hook function:function fwp($payment_id){

global $db;$payment = $db->get_payment($payment_id); // $payment is now

array$product = $db->get_product($payment['product_id']);$member = $db->get_user($payment['member_id']);print "For this period: $payment[begin_date] -

$payment[expire_date]<br>";print "$product[title] ordered by $member[name_f]

$member[name_l]<br>";}

update_payments($payment_id) This function called when payment $payment_id has been updated somehow - changed,

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marked as paid, added, deleted.You can use the same code as for finish_waiting_payment function.

8.6.3 aMember database functions

Often, in plugin hooks, you need to access database records. It is possible in numerous ways.Usually, it is right way to access aMember database with special access functions. You willfind description of these functions in this topic.

Note: you have to define global $db; in your function to get access to database object.

$q = $db->query($sql)It is not recommended, but if you want to execute a MySQL query to aMember database, youshould use this function. This function will access right database and it will handle errorsautomatically.To substitute aMember tables prefix into query, use {$db->config[prefix]} in your string,like

$db->query($sql = "SELECT member_id FROM {$db->config[prefix]}membersWHERE login = 'someone'");

$u = $db->get_user($user_id)This function will return you a user record for given user_id

$db->update_user($user, $u)This function will update user with new user record $u. You should load record with get_user, change some fields, then pass changed record to this function.

$db->delete_user($user_id)This function will delete user with given user_id

$p = $db->get_payment($payment_id)This function will return you a payment record with given payment_id

$db->update_payment($payment_id, $p)This function will update payment

$db->delete_payment($payment_id)This function will delete payment

$db->get_user_payments($member_id, $completed)This function will return you array of member payments, each record in this array is the sameas returned from get_payment function. $completed parameter may be 1 - then only Paid("completed") payments will be returned, or 0 - then all member payments (include pending)will be returned. This code snippet will show you how to select only active payments fromthis list:

$pl = array();$dat = date('Y-m-d');

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foreach ($db->get_user_payments($member_id, 1) as $p){if (($p['begin_date']<=$dat) && ($p['expire_date']>=$dat)){

$pl[] = $p;}

}// now $pl contains only completed payments

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Index- A -after_login 62

after_logout 62

auto_prepend with php_include 35

- B -Bulletin Board Plugins 39

- C -check_logged_in 62

check_uniq_login 63

CSS 55

- D -delete_payment 65

delete_user 65

- E -expired members 47

- F -fill_in_signup_form 63

finish_waiting_payment 64

- G -get_payment 65

get_user 65

get_user_payments 65

- H -htpasswd 36

- M -Member 47

mod_rewrite with php_include 32

- P -payment 49

php_include 33

Plugins 43

Product 44


- Q -query( 65

- S -Setting up IP-Checking with .htpasswd 52

setup_plugin_hook 60

Signup 6

site.inc.php 63

Subscription 49

subscription_added 61

subscription_deleted 61

subscription_rebuild 61

subscription_removed 61

subscription_updated 61

- T -Third-party scripts integration 7

This is the URL to the content to which you wish thisproduct to give access. 44

- U -update_payment 65

update_payments 64

update_user 65

- V -validate_member_form 64

Index 68


validate_signup_form 64

Endnotes 2... (after index)

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amember guide · 2011. 11. 3. · amember pro ('the software') is a copyrighted work of...

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